WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La. - State lawmakers are backing spending plans for a new $1.1 billion research and teaching hospital in New Orleans, to replace Charity Hospital.

The approval was the last significant hurdle stalling the hospital's construction.

With the support Friday of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, construction on the public hospital is expected to being within two weeks, according to the state's construction
project manager.

The facility has been on the drawing board for six years, and lawmakers have disagreed about its size and scope.

Gov. Bobby Jindal supported the latest construction plan for the 424-bed public hospital that won't require state-backed borrowing.

It includes a mix of already earmarked state financing, federal hurricane recovery funds and third-party dollars.